Written Answers Tuesday 16 September 2008

Scottish Executive

Airports

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what representations and recommendations it has made to the Competition Commission about the future ownership of Scottish airports and what discussion it has had with BAA and others regarding their future.

Stewart Stevenson: My officials attended a formal hearing with the Competition Commission on 30 January 2008, the transcript of which is at:

  http://www.competition-commission.org.uk/inquiries/ref2007/airports/pdf/hearing_summary_scottish_government.pdf.

  Our formal written submission of 1 February 2008 is at:

  http://www.competition-commission.org.uk/inquiries/ref2007/airports/pdf/third_party_submission_scottish_gov_supply.pdf.

  Our periodic discussions with BAA have covered a range of issues, including the airport operator’s views on the Competition Commission’s inquiry. It is for the commission, which is independent of government, to weigh up the evidence and representations received in determining the outcome of its inquiry.

Ambulance Service

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what is being done to reduce the 6% sickness absence rate in the Scottish Ambulance Service.

Nicola Sturgeon: The Scottish Ambulance Service has been running programmes to improve the wellbeing of its workforce and control sickness absence for a number of years. These include a range of "working well" initiatives together with stringent application of the management of sickness absence policy and procedures, linked to close monitoring and reporting of sickness absence and its reasons. The service also benefits from the initiatives at national level to promote and share good practice in promoting attendance and managing sickness absence.

  The service recorded a rate of 5.2% for the month of June 2008, this is a significant reduction on their June 2007 figure which was 6%.

Class Sizes

Jamie Stone (Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how the educational settlement for Highland Council will achieve the Executive’s stated aim of reducing class sizes.

Maureen Watt: Under the terms of the concordat there is no separate education budget for local authorities. Highland Council will receive £1,583.3 million over the next three years. It is for Highland Council to allocate these funds in the light of local priorities. Under the terms of the concordat, local government has agreed to reduce primary one to primary three classes to a maximum of 18 as quickly as possible.

Dentistry

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the provision in the proposed Health Bill to keep GP practices in the NHS will be extended to general dental practitioners working in private practice.

Shona Robison: General dental practitioners working in private practice are delivering private dentistry rather than NHS dentistry. This is not analogous to commercial companies providing NHS primary medical services.

  Most independent general dental practitioners currently undertake a mix of NHS and private dentistry, and we have no plans to legislate to change that.

Education

Rhona Brankin (Midlothian) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of children in S1 can read and write.

Maureen Watt: Information about pupils’ attainment in reading and writing in primary and early secondary can be obtained from the results of the Scottish Survey of Achievement.

  The most recently published results for reading were published in the 2006 SSA report, which can be found at www.scotland.gov.uk/ssa2006report. The most recently published results for writing were published in the 2007 SSA report, which can be found at www.scotland.gov.uk/ssa2007report.

Education

Margaret Smith (Edinburgh West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what support it is providing for more than 15,000 pupils for whom English is not their first language.

Maureen Watt: The Scottish Government is investing record levels of funding in local government, £34.9 billion over the period 2008-11. Education authorities have the flexibility to allocate the resources available to them to meet their local needs and priorities. This includes providing for pupils for whom English is not their first language and meeting their duties under the Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Act 2004 which requires education authorities to identify, meet and keep under review the additional support needs of all pupils for whom English is an additional language.

  In addition, we continue to encourage schools and colleges to work in partnership to meet the needs of learners. As part of our adult English for speakers of other languages (ESOL) strategy for Scotland, the Scottish Government and the Scottish Funding Council have recently allocated £2.7 million of additional funding to community learning and development partnerships and colleges, along with advice encouraging them to develop ESOL for families and actively link with schools as one of the key priorities.

Education

Margaret Smith (Edinburgh West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how it will ensure that there are sufficient numbers of specialist teachers to support more than 15,000 pupils for whom English is not their first language.

Maureen Watt: The Scottish Government is investing record levels of funding in local government, £34.9 billion over the period 2008-11, to enable local authorities to respond appropriately to their own local needs and priorities. As employers, local authorities should ensure that they employ adequate numbers of teachers with appropriate professional skills and knowledge to enable them to undertake the teaching duties allocated to them.

  In addition, we continue to encourage schools and colleges to work in partnership to meet the needs of learners. As part of our adult English for speakers of other languages (ESOL) strategy for Scotland, the Scottish Government and the Scottish Funding Council have recently allocated £2.7 million of additional funding to community learning and development partnerships and colleges, along with advice encouraging them to develop ESOL for families and actively link with schools as one of the key priorities.

Education

Margaret Smith (Edinburgh West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has given consideration to supporting pupils for whom English is an additional language through the establishment of short-term, intensive, language immersion schools or courses for new arrivals in Scotland prior to children entering local schools.

Maureen Watt: There is a range of approaches which can be used to support pupils for whom English is an additional language. It is for local authorities to decide how to provide support to pupils with English as an additional language taking account of each pupil’s individual needs.

  In addition, we continue to encourage schools and colleges to work in partnership to meet the needs of learners. As part of our adult English for speakers of other languages (ESOL) strategy for Scotland, the Scottish Government and the Scottish Funding Council have recently allocated £2.7 million of additional funding to community learning and development partnerships and colleges, along with advice encouraging them to develop ESOL for families and actively link with schools as one of the key priorities.

Forth Crossing

Liam McArthur (Orkney) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has ruled out tolling on the replacement Forth crossing.

Stewart Stevenson: The Scottish Government gave a commitment in the Abolition of Bridge Tolls (Scotland) Bill on 20 December to end the unfairness that tolling of bridges brought particularly for the people of Fife, Tayside and the Lothians.

  The Scottish Government are currently reviewing various funding options available for the Forth Replacement Crossing.

  I can provide a guarantee that the users of the Forth Replacement Crossing will not be charged to use the bridge.

Homecoming Scotland

Nanette Milne (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how the events advertised in the events calendar for Homecoming Scotland 2009 were chosen and what the criteria were for events being advertised in the calendar.

Jim Mather: The Homecoming Scotland Events Guide currently lists all events that are being directly funded through the Homecoming project. Funding has been allocated through three programmes: the Signature Programme; the Themed Events Programme, and the Rolling Programme. The criteria to judge the suitability of events was their fit with the five pillars of Homecoming - Burns, Golf, Whisky, Great Scottish Minds and Innovations, and Ancestry - and their ability to attract visitors and generate interest in the Homecoming. In particular, the eligibility criteria for the Themed Events Programme were given in the leaflet produced by EventScotland for applicants for event support. These criteria were that applications would be assessed on their demonstrated ability to reflect the Homecoming Scotland objectives and themes, and against the eligibility criteria outlined below:

  Events must take place in Scotland during 2009 between 25 January and 30 November (inclusive).

  Applications had to be made by a legally constituted organisation.

  Both new and existing events could apply. Applications had to demonstrate that the funds applied for would develop new, special activity for 2009.

  Existing events must demonstrate their capacity to further develop and grow in terms of audience/participant numbers and impact in 2009.

  The level of grant applied for must be supported by a clear business case that justifies the request.

  All applications had to demonstrate a robust means for measuring event outcomes, in particular tourism additionality and engagement with the Scottish diaspora.

  All applications had to have the support of the relevant local authority and other appropriate agencies/partners/organisations.

  It was not intended that an award from Homecoming Scotland would provide the majority of funding for any supported event. Applicants were therefore required to secure additional event income from alternative sources.

  Homecoming Scotland could not offer replacement funding, e.g. to fill a budget gap created by the withdrawal of another funding source.

  Funding available through Homecoming Scotland was distinct from funding currently available through EventScotland’s Regional and International Programmes which are targeted at supporting the long-term strategic growth and development of events.

  Organisations applying to Homecoming Scotland could also, where appropriate, apply to EventScotland’s Regional and International Programmes.

  More information at www.eventscotland.org or Tel. 0131 472 2313.

Homecoming Scotland

Nanette Milne (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is satisfied that the events advertised in the events calendar for Homecoming Scotland 2009 meet the tourist potential of every community in Scotland.

Nanette Milne (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is satisfied that the events advertised in the events calendar for Homecoming Scotland 2009 meet the tourist potential of every community across Scotland.

Jim Mather: The events planned for the Homecoming Scotland 2009 programme are intended, within the bounds of available funding, to cover the whole of Scotland. There are currently over 100 events ranging from the Shetlands Islands to Wigtown and from Barra to Aberdeen.

Housing

Jim Tolson (Dunfermline West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the announcement by the First Minister on 19 August 2008 that "up to £100 million of affordable housing investment to be spent this year and next, rather than 2010-11 as originally planned", what the impact will be on planned units and investment for affordable housing in each local authority in 2008-09 if (a) £60 million and (b) £100 million is added.

Jim Tolson (Dunfermline West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the announcement by the First Minister on 19 August 2008 that "up to £100 million of affordable housing investment to be spent this year and next, rather than 2010-11 as originally planned", what the expected investment is and how many affordable housing units are expected to be built in (a) 2008-09, (b) 2009-10 and (c) 2010-11.

Jim Tolson (Dunfermline West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the announcement by the First Minister on 19 August 2008 that £60 million of already identified money had been brought forward in the Affordable Housing Investment Programme, (a) which national programmes this has been diverted from and (b) how that £60 million will be split across the years 2008-09 and 2009-10.

Jim Tolson (Dunfermline West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the announcement by the First Minister on 19 August 2008 that up to £100 million was being brought forward in the Affordable Housing Investment Programme from 2010-11, what the (a) revised level of expenditure and b) number of unit approvals are expected to be for 2008-09 for each local authority, assuming that £20 million is brought forward as planned.

Jim Tolson (Dunfermline West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the announcement by the First Minister on 19 August 2008 that up to £100 million was being brought forward in the Affordable Housing Investment Programme from 2010-11, what the (a) revised level of expenditure and (b) unit approvals are expected to be for 2008-09 for each local authority, broken down by (i) affordable housing for rent by registered social landlords (RSLs), (ii) low-cost home ownership by RSLs, (iii) other suppliers and (iv) open market shared equity.

Jim Tolson (Dunfermline West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the announcement by the First Minister on 19 August 2008 that up to £100 million was being brought forward in the Affordable Housing Investment Programme from 2010-11, what the (a) revised level of expenditure and (b) revised unit approvals are expected to be for 2008-09 for other suppliers, detailing what programmes constitute other suppliers.

Jim Tolson (Dunfermline West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the announcement by the First Minister on 19 August 2008 that up to £100 million was being brought forward in the Affordable Housing Investment Programme from 2010-11, what the (a) revised level of expenditure and (b) revised unit approvals are expected to be for Scotland as a whole in 2008-09 for (i) Registered Social Landlord (RSL) rent; (ii) RSL low-cost home ownership, (iii) Glasgow Housing Association costs, (iv) Open Market Shared Equity Scheme and (v) other programmes and what those other programmes are.

Jim Tolson (Dunfermline West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the announcement by the First Minister on 19 August 2008 that up to £100 million was being brought forward in the Affordable Housing Investment Programme from 2010-11, whether this affects assumptions about how much is being invested in Glasgow and Edinburgh for 2008-09 and, if so, how the anticipated level of (a) investment and (b) approvals changes.

Stewart Maxwell: The spend profile and allocation of the "up to £100 million" has yet to be finalised. In allocating this accelerated funding we will prioritise bringing forward new construction but will also spend on off the shelf units and land acquisitions where this is strategically sensible and offers good value for money. Allocations will be made to projects rather than to specific local authority areas.

Housing

Jim Tolson (Dunfermline West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the announcement by the First Minister on 19 August 2008 that up to £100 million was being brought forward in the Affordable Housing Investment Programme from 2010-11, how it expects the commitment to fund low-cost home ownership programmes to the sum of £250 million over three years to be distributed across (a) 2008-09, (b) 2009-10 and (c) 2010-11.

Stewart Maxwell: The spend profile and allocation of the up to £100 million of affordable housing investment has yet to be finalised. In allocating this accelerated funding we will prioritise bringing forward new construction but will also spend on off the shelf units and land acquisitions where this is strategically sensible and offers good value for money. Allocations will be made to projects rather than to specific local authority areas.

  Planned expenditure for 2008-09 on measures to support first time buyers into home ownership through the Low-cost Initiative for First Time Buyers (LIFT) is currently £65.8 million. The planned breakdown of expenditure on LIFT between 2009-10 and 2010-11 is still to be finalised.

NHS Hospitals

Sarah Boyack (Edinburgh Central) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the bed occupancy rates were for each hospital in the NHS Lothian area in each of the last four years.

Nicola Sturgeon: The percentage acute bed occupancy for hospitals in NHS Lothian is shown in the following table.

  NHSScotland - Average bed occupancy1, NHS Lothian Area Years Ending 31 March 2005-08

  

 
 2005
 2006
 2007
 2008P


 All Locations
 85.3
 84.4
 85.0
 85.8


 Astley Ainslie Hospital
 88.4
 86.1
 86.2
 83.7


 Belhaven Hospital
 66.6
 73.3
 73.4
 72.8


 Corstorphine Hospital
 92.9
 83.2
 88.5
 83.3


 Craigshill Care Home
 89.7
 93.4
 79.9
 87.3


 Edenhall Hospital
 78.4
 77.5
 76.4
 82.2


 Edington Cottage Hospital
 78.5
 67.9
 73.8
 86.7


 Ellen's Glen House
 94.0
 92.5
 93.3
 96.2


 Ferryfield House
 96.4
 96.9
 95.7
 87.0


 Findlay House
 89.8
 91.9
 88.1
 81.1


 Herdmanflat Hospital
 74.6
 72.2
 66.3
 72.3


 Learning Disabilities Service Healthcare Houses
 91.7
 98.5
 95.5
 96.5


 Liberton Hospital
 90.1
 91.0
 89.2
 90.7


 Loanhead Hospital
 87.1
 79.4
 86.9
 82.0


 Murray Park Nursing Home
 91.2
 96.1
 97.5
 98.6


 Princess Alexandra Eye Pavilion
 35.8
 36.8
 33.6
 33.3


 Roodlands General Hospital
 85.5
 82.8
 85.1
 86.6


 Rosslynlee Hospital
 56.7
 50.3
 44.9
 60.2


 Royal Edinburgh Hospital
 86.1
 84.3
 89.5
 87.2


 Royal Hospital for Sick Children (Edinburgh)
 68.0
 66.3
 66.0
 68.7


 Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh at Little France
 85.3
 85.7
 85.7
 87.1


 Royal Victoria Hospital
 96.0
 94.2
 96.0
 92.7


 St Columba's Hospice
 77.1
 82.0
 79.6
 82.7


 St John's Hospital
 81.2
 79.7
 81.3
 80.9


 St Michael's Hospital
 84.3
 82.2
 85.6
 84.2


 The Greenbank Centre
 98.4
 98.4
 95.8
 86.4


 Tippethill Hospital
 84.1
 88.8
 87.5
 91.0


 Western General Hospital
 88.4
 88.6
 89.5
 90.9


 Whitburn House
 89.5
 88.9
 87.5
 71.6


 William Fraser Centre
 99.2
 102.7
 95.9
 98.4



  Source: ISD Scotland (ISD(S)1).

  PProvisional, some information is estimated.

  Notes:

  1. Percentage occupancy is the percentage of available staffed beds that were occupied by inpatients during the year It is derived as total occupied bed days/all available staffed bed days*100.

  2. The figures presented in the table include beds for use by NHS patients that are located in non-NHS locations, for example joint-user and contractual hospitals.

NHS Hospitals

Richard Baker (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the bed occupancy rates were in each hospital in NHS Grampian in each of the last four years.

Nicola Sturgeon: The percentage acute bed occupancy for hospitals in NHS Grampian is shown in the following table.

  NHSScotland - Average Bed Occupancy1 NHS Grampian Area Years Ending 31 March 2005-08

  

 
 2005
 2006
 2007
 2008P


 All locations
 78.2
 79.0
 76.3
 75.4


 375 Great Western Lodge
 97.4
 97.4
 70.3
 51.1


 Aberdeen Maternity Hospital
 64.3
 66.4
 67.6
 65.9


 Aberdeen Royal Infirmary
 80.6
 81.9
 76.8
 77.8


 Aboyne Hospital
 69.8
 72.2
 65.9
 59.6


 Albyn Hospital
 100.0
 100.0
 100.0
 100.0


 Auchtercrag Care Home
 61.5
 74.9
 87.9
 88.6


 Campbell Hospital
 63.8
 48.8
 55.3
 58.1


 Chalmers Hospital
 56.9
 56.9
 52.1
 57.9


 City Hospital
 78.5
 81.0
 89.1
 89.8


 Dr Gray's Hospital
 74.2
 77.6
 76.4
 77.6


 Elmwood
 -
 96.5
 97.8
 84.7


 Fernbrae Hospital
 -
 100.0
 -
 -


 Fleming Cottage Hospital
 79.6
 82.1
 79.3
 80.5


 Fraserburgh Hospital
 41.8
 58.2
 57.8
 46.6


 Glen O'Dee Hospital
 85.2
 78.2
 63.3
 66.6


 Hyperbaric Centre
 8.2
 2.1
 0.8
 47.8


 Insch & District War Memorial Hosp.
 80.6
 78.1
 74.9
 69.0


 Inverurie Hospital
 82.3
 72.7
 74.1
 72.8


 Jubilee Hospital
 69.1
 64.2
 55.9
 51.7


 Kincardine Community Hospital
 80.0
 80.1
 83.2
 64.2


 Leanchoil Hospital
 73.2
 84.5
 87.6
 82.8


 Maud Hospital
 64.9
 57.1
 39.6
 24.2


 Peterhead Community Hospital
 69.7
 73.8
 71.2
 59.6


 Pluscarden Clinic
 86.5
 86.5
 93.9
 95.5


 Rehabilitation Hospital
 67.8
 67.8
 70.4
 86.8


 Roxburghe House
 80.7
 75.3
 83.6
 81.8


 Royal Aberdeen Children's Hospital
 55.4
 57.2
 53.3
 51.2


 Royal Cornhill Hospital
 82.7
 82.7
 79.6
 82.1


 Seafield Hospital
 80.3
 71.9
 77.1
 81.3


 Spynie Hospital
 42.0
 -
 -
 -


 Stephen Cottage Hospital
 79.2
 86.2
 84.7
 86.4


 Turner Memorial Hospital
 78.5
 86.3
 86.8
 88.7


 Turriff Cottage Hospital
 70.3
 68.0
 74.4
 73.8


 Ugie Hospital
 88.2
 86.2
 74.7
 63.3


 Woodend General Hospital
 90.1
 88.0
 87.8
 85.4


 Woodend Hospital
 82.3
 83.2
 90.7
 80.1



  Source: ISD Scotland (ISD(S)1).

  PProvisional, some information is estimated.

  Notes:

  1. Percentage occupancy is the percentage of available staffed beds that were occupied by inpatients during the year. It is derived as total occupied bed days/ all available staffed bed days*100.

  2. The figures presented in the table include beds for use by NHS patients that are located in non-NHS locations, for example joint-user and contractual hospitals.

Public Transport

Richard Baker (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to increase the Bus Service Operators Grant in light of recent fares increases, in particular to First Group services in Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire.

Stewart Stevenson: Ultimately, the level of fares is a matter for individual bus operators who use their own commercial judgement in these matters. Scottish Government support for bus services is considerable, amounting to some £280 million per year. This substantial investment is intended to help the industry drive down costs, encourage more routes and enable more older and disabled people to use these important services. Following the budget statement by the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth on 6 February 2008 I can confirm that it is our intention that the budget for the Bus Service Operators Grant will be around £61 million in 2008-09.

Renewable Energy

Liam McArthur (Orkney) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how many installers were accredited under the Scottish Community and Household Renewable Initiative in each of the last five years, broken down by local authority area.

Jim Mather: The Scottish Community and Householder Renewables Initiative relies on the accreditation undertaken under the Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS), which is owned by the UK Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR).

  The Scottish Government therefore does not hold data on numbers of accredited installers, broken down by local authority area. Details of Scottish installers accredited under MCS are available on BERR’s Low Carbon Buildings Programme website at:

  http://www.lowcarbonbuildings.org.uk/info/installers/find/installerfind.

Rural Affairs

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it has taken to ensure that there is a sustainable network of petrol stations in rural areas.

Stewart Stevenson: From 1 April 2008, responsibility and funding for the Rural Petrol Stations Grant Scheme was transferred to Highlands and Islands Enterprise and Scottish Enterprise. Decisions on how to allocate funding to meet local needs and priorities are now made by these bodies.

Scottish Qualifications Authority

Rhona Brankin (Midlothian) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it can give an assurance that the Scottish Qualifications Authority will remain in Midlothian.

Maureen Watt: The SQA is currently in the process of reviewing a range of options for relocating from its accommodation in Ironmills Road, Dalkeith. A business case will be submitted to ministers containing a full appraisal of these options with recommendations. Ministers’ decision will only be taken after careful consideration of the options and recommendations. The review will include a number of factors including the travel to work requirements of the 67% of staff who live in Midlothian.

Sectarianism

Bill Butler (Glasgow Anniesland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many anti-sectarianism projects it is funding in schools in the 2008-09 academic year, broken down by local authority area and amount awarded.

Maureen Watt: After two successive years of offering funding to a total of 69 such projects, the current focus is on evaluating them and considering how best to share all of the good practice and lessons to be learned about supporting anti-sectarian work in schools.

Teachers

Margaret Smith (Edinburgh West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment it has made of the adequacy of the provision of specialist foreign language teachers.

Maureen Watt: The Scottish Government undertakes an annual teacher workforce planning exercise at a national level to ensure there are sufficient numbers of teachers in publicly funded schools. The exercise takes account of pupil projections and numbers of teachers leaving and entering the profession. Secondary subjects are placed in priority categories for intake to courses of initial teacher education based on a number of factors such as the vacancy levels and the number of places offered by authorities for particular subjects on the teacher induction scheme. Modern languages has been a top priority subject for a number of years.

  The Scottish Government also carries out a teacher vacancy survey each February. The latest survey in February 2008 shows that only 0.3% of the full complement of teaching posts in modern languages were vacant over three months. Vacancies over three months are usually taken as an indicator of teacher shortage as it discounts the normal turnover of staff.

Wind Farms

Peter Peacock (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it was aware of a report by RPS Ecology on the ornithology of the site associated with the Gordonbush wind farm planning application when granting that application consent and whether it believes that the granting of consent is consistent with the findings of the report.

Jim Mather: Scottish ministers received a copy of the RPS Ecology report commissioned by Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) on its publication in June 2006. At that time, SNH objected to the proposal. Subsequently the developer submitted further information which enabled SNH to lift their objection, subject to conditions being imposed. Scottish ministers determined the Gordonbush application, taking into account the subsequent SNH advice and other relevant consultee responses.